UTTARAKHAND: THE QUAINT CHURNINGS

The long winding asphalt wrapped in velvety green finery leads you to the famed Never land of your dreams. The Alaknanda scurrying down the hill slopes with its serpentine course like it has been waiting since ages for its reunion with the Bhagirathi at Devprayag. In Uttarakhand the personal space between nature and civilization is still short. Infact, uttarakhand has all the ingredients of a pleasant, peaceful vacation for nature lovers and for those who find themselves attracted to the silent, serene wilderness.

But there is a catch, the meandering river and lush scenery is just the softer side of the mammoth quaint churnings. A revolution is silently sweeping the foothills of Garhwal and Kumayon. With India, poised on the trajectory of growth, the benefits are slowing trickling down to the underdeveloped areas. And it is those categories of the areas that Uttarakhank stands. The hills for a long time were inaccessible to the toms, dicks and harries of the country. But amid the booming economy, and Uttarakhand's special status, more benefits started reaching the people.

With the growth of economy and infrastructure, the lifestyle of the people of the region also changed. The earlier hand to mouth existence is soon becoming a thing of the past. Tourism has become a major industry in the state and so is Ayurveda. It is a common site to witness hotels and resorts mushrooming at various tourist centers in the state. Internet, mobile telephony, beauty parlors, fast-food joints etc. has become a normal feature of the city life. The picture looks all sunny. It could never have been better.

But is the public catching up well with the chnage? How are other services being uitiliesd? What about the interest of the lower strata of the society and above all the fragile ecology? Is the development even? There was a time, when a pilgrimage to a Badrinath-Kedarnath or Gangotro-Yamunotri was considered one's final journey. But the expansion has turned them into famous vacation spot. So much so that, environmentalists have been complaining of the ecology of region being threatened. Sure, Uttarakhand is developing but it is worse than the Gold rush that hits San Francisco.

There is no check on these hotels and resorts or whether the requisite norms or environmental safeguards are followed. More cabs and taxies can be seen dotting the mountainous landscape. But at the cost of a shrinking environment and wildlife. The economic growth of the state is unprecedented but secondary and higher education is in tartars. I could not find a single good educational institution worth mentioning on the Badrinath road, Srikot, Srinagar, one of the main towns of Uttarakhand. All you find, there is are shops and markets for the booming tourist industry. Same is the case with most of regions of Uttarakhand. All and all, the growth is there but with no planning and long term perspective.

What is the way out? Firstly, Uttarakhand needs good administrators those who can plan well in advance and can utilize the resources in a sustainable way. The administrators will also have to keep in mind the fragile ecology of the hills. Developing infrastructure is not the criteria but developing the sustainable infrastrure should be the goal. Secondly, politicians here have no idea how to function. They need proper grounding in matters of administration and running the government. Because of their ignorance and boorishness, bureaucrats have been bleeding state dry. It is the duty of representative of the people, to ensure that the services in their constituencies are being utilized properly. Thirdly, employment opportunities like horticulture, sericulture, Ayurveda, handicrafts, etc. needs to be planned well. The local populace should be encouraged to come forward with such professional options. Fourthly, the state needs to develop higher education but the thrust should be on computers, polytechnics, pharmacy, textile and other vocational options. Fifth and most important, environment protection should be the buzzword. With the booming tourism and infrastructure, ecology has taken a hit. Government needs to educate the people about the environmental concerns. Trees like Birch, Deodars and lots of fruits bearing trees should be planted on a large scale. This should have a major participation of the people, something like a Boodhan Movement of Acharya Vinoba Bhave.

The motto here could not be more fitting than these words of US President John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country”. It should be a people's movement, not a politician's or bureaucrat' s movement.